BENGALURU: The State Government has issued new guidelines for the 2026-27 Crop Survey, conducted using a mobile app across Karnataka. Farmers can self-report crop details, which will be verified by revenue officials using GPS and satellite images.
The survey data will be used for crop insurance, disaster relief and implementation of government schemes. The government has also included provisions to record cases where farmers could not sow crops due to lack of rain or where crops were damaged by natural disasters. This information will help in providing crop insurance, compensation and other government assistance, says the government order.
Under the government order issued on June 30, farmers will be allowed to self-report crop details through the Farmer Crop Survey mobile application. If farmers fail to upload the information, officials will conduct field verification. The survey will use geo-referenced maps and GPS-based verification to improve data accuracy.
The order also provides for recording prevented sowing, crop losses due to natural calamities and post-harvest losses. Farmers will be given an opportunity to seek corrections to crop records within the prescribed timeline. The crop survey data will be integrated with crop insurance, MSP procurement, disaster compensation and other agriculture-related schemes. Detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued to Revenue, Agriculture and Horticulture departments for implementation.
The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for verifying crop insurance proposals that do not match crop survey data and are not eligible for exemptions. Under the SOP, bank branches will verify crop loan cases, while taluk agriculture officers and horticulture officers will verify non-loan cases.
“Claims where the insured crop is visible in crop survey photographs will be recommended for approval. If seasonal crops are not found in the photographs, the claims will be recommended for rejection. For perennial crops, field verification through a mobile app will be carried out before a final decision is taken,” it stated.
The SOP issued strict specific timelines for processing claims. “Verification must be completed within 15 days for most cases and 45 days for perennial crop cases. Insurance companies must accept or reject proposals within seven days and initiate approved claims within 15 days. It then disburses compensation within another 15 days. Farmers whose claims are rejected can file grievances within 15 days of the publication of the rejection list,” it added.
